Kent Memorial hosts Take Your Child to the Library Day

Avery assembles a Valentine’s Day wreath at Kent Memorial Library's Take Your Child to the Library Day on Feb. 7. The library was also holding a children's book sale. Photo by Jennifer Coe.

Avery assembles a Valentine’s Day wreath at Kent Memorial Library's Take Your Child to the Library Day on Feb. 7. The library was also holding a children's book sale. Photo by Jennifer Coe.

Jennifer CoeReminder News

Kent Memorial hosts Take Your Child to the Library Day

Launched in 2011, Take Your Child to the Library Day has become a Connecticut tradition. Begun by a Nutmeg librarian, Nadine Lipman, and her co-organizers, Caitlin Augusta and Nancy Elizabeth Wallace, the special day held on Feb. 7 was begun to raise awareness about the services the local library can provide to children in each community.

Many libraries all over the country choose this day to organize a special event or host a commemorative party to draw in families. Nearly 150 of Connecticut's 160 towns participated this year.

Locally, Kent Memorial Library in Suffield celebrated the date by offering kids a craft time. The library is presently housed in its temporary location of 61 Ffyler Place due to the renovations occurring at the main library building.

"Yesterday was the first time that Suffield participated in Take Your Child to the Library Day," said Director Jackie Hemond on Feb. 8, and the positive response to the special day was encouraging. "I think it was wonderful that we had so many young families coming out to the library in the snow and to a temporary library space," she said. "The parents see the value of a public library."

The library also offered a children's used book sale. The founder of TYCLD, Nancy Lipman, says she has been "humbled by the response the day has gotten." She says once she and her colleagues shared the idea on the national level, it "took off." Over time, the Connecticut Library Consortium became the "overseer" to the annual day and has provided the promotional materials to advertise it.

"It's a free, fun and family-friendly activity," said Lipman. Even some foreign countries have begun participating.

For Kent Memorial, Hemond says events like this take a little bit of creative planning. The building where the library is housed right now can be a tight squeeze at times.

"The temporary library, though small, works out if we strategize," said Hemond. "We try to do a lot of programming here - and we have, although we have had to downsize - do movies, have a robust winter reading program, run story time and other children's programs, a genealogy program and other adult programs."

Kent Memorial will be hosting a Teddy Bear Sleepover on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 6:30 p.m. for children ages 3 and up. Children will bring their stuffed companion to the library and pick them up Saturday, Feb. 14. Register now for a spot by calling 860-668-3896.